The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-07-29
Two "Bloodv Shirt" Politicians.


John Sherman and Gov. Foraker ought
to be happy. Sherman Seceived the kind
of an Endorsement from the Republican
State Convention of Ohio yesterday that
he had been seeking fos months, and Fora
ker was renouiuated for Governor. They
arc both bloody shirt" politicians of the
most pronounced type, but, strange as IT
may seem, they are not warm and loving
friends Sherman wants his party to
nominate him for President, and Foraker
favors Blaine's nomination, because he
wants the nomination for second place on
the national ticket.
The platform is a curious medley Of prin-
ciples, assertions and declarations. 1t is
apparently based upon Foraker's recent arti-
Gle in the Forum, in which he undertakes
to give reasons why the Republican party
should be restored to power in the admins
tration of national affairs. One of its pur
poses is to catch votes, and another is to de
fine the issues for the national contest next
year. Its insincerity- is so evident that
thinking people will regard it as furnishing
a very good reason why the Republican
party should not he restored to the control
of the government.
OF course it contains an attack upon the
South. 1t would be impossible for Ohio
Repuhltcas,sfQ frame platform that didn't
contain ApnSthing of that kind. They pre-
tend to believe that the Republican vote
in thSfsouth is suppressed and they howl
for a free ballot and fair count. They
present no facts, of course, that the ballot
is not as free and the count as fair at the
South as, it, is at the North. They rely
wholly upon assertions. They claim that
every black man is Republican, and if he
doesn't come forward and vote the Repub-
lican ticket, they boldly assert that he is in
Inundated, bulldozed, and is prevented from
doing so. Was there ever anything so reck
less in the way of assertion in the politics of
the country beforel If this assertion We're
supported by a reasonable number of black
voters there would be n little excuse for it.
In the absence of any such support, and, in
fact, Of any support, it is rather remarkable
that the Republicans have the hardihood to
continue to make it,
John Sherman in his Springfield speech
boldly claimed that the South was solidly
Democratic because the Republican vote
was suppressed, and Gov. Foraker, in his
Forum article, claims the same thing
Foraker attempts little more than Sher-
man did, because he undertakes to bolster
up the claim. And how! Why, by point
ing out that at the last Congressional cleo
ton in Georgia only $4,000 votes were cast
out of about 100000 He wants to know
why the vote was not larger, and concludes
that it was not because it was suppressed.
Does Foraker think the readers Of the Forum,
lack common sense. Did the votes cast
represent one-sixth of the Democratic votes3
OF course not. Ii any votes were suppressed
then it is apparent that very large per
Ccntage of them was Democratic
AS matter of fact, however,
no votes were suppressed White
and black voters, Democrats and Republi-
cars, cast their ballots without let or him
drancc, apd all ballots cast were counted.
The smallness OF the vote WIS due to the
absence of opposition in all but three of the
districts, and in those three the interest was
not sufficient to bring out a large vote.
The Republicans didn't vote throughout the
State, because they had no candidates, and
the Democrats generally remained away
from the polls, because they felt that
their candidates were safe. All of
these facts however, Foraker carefully
slippresses. For a man who INDUCES in
TRADE against alleged suppression of the
ballot he shows himself to be q constituencies
suppressor of facts. However, there is some
satisfaction in knowing that though he may
succeed in obscuring the truth for awhile,
the people are certain to get hold of it even
tually. Demagogues may have a transient,
but not a permanent, success.